Battle for Zendikar Story Events

There are many important moments in the Battle for Zendikar story, but the five most crucial story moments are shown on cards. You can read more about these events in the official Magic fiction on the Story tab of BattleForZendikar.com.

Several of these story events have yet to unfold in our official fiction series, Uncharted Realms. Befitting our new goal of making sure that the most important story moments are accessible to all Magic fans, we've included details here that weren't mentioned on the cards.

Slaughter at the Refuge

Gideon Jura returned to Zendikar alone, ready to face the Eldrazi. He arrived near Sea Gate on Tazeem and found the area nearly overrun. He fought his way through the Eldrazi until he reached a besieged refuge, then held the Eldrazi back while the survivors fled to the cliffs. Among them was Nissa Revane, a fellow Planeswalker whose connection to Zendikar's elemental soul had waned. Although their paths would take them in different directions, they agreed to meet outside Sea Gate to face the Eldrazi once more.

Nissa's Quest

Led by visions, Nissa traveled into the depths of the devastated continent of Bala Ged to find the Khalni Heart, an outgrowth of the soul of Zendikar. Through it, she rekindled her connection to the plane—but she also ran afoul of the demon Ob Nixilis, a former Planeswalker who hoped to use the power of the Khalni Heart to reignite his spark. Flush with the elemental power of Zendikar, Nissa bested Ob Nixilis, removed the Khalni Heart to safety, and escaped.

Revelation at the Eye

Although the mind mage Jace Beleren had resisted Gideon's efforts to recruit him, he soon journeyed to Zendikar. He found Ugin himself rebuilding the damaged Eye of Ugin, the underground chamber that's magic had once imprisoned the Eldrazi on the plane. Ugin revealed to Jace how the network of stone "hedrons" might be used to again immobilize the Eldrazi titans, but Jace realized that the same trick might instead serve as a first step in killing them. Ignoring Ugin's dire warnings, Jace left the Eye and made his way to Sea Gate to pass this information on to Gideon.

This story event will be covered in an upcoming Uncharted Realms story.

The Liberation of Sea Gate

Gideon set out with the small band of survivors from the destroyed refuge. Battle-hardened veterans and desperate new recruits flocked to his banner. Kiora, a Planeswalker native to Zendikar, brought her own army of merfolk and colossal sea monsters to fight alongside Gideon. They began an attack on the Eldrazi-controlled Sea Gate, joined soon thereafter by Nissa and Jace. The Eldrazi were driven from the city, and Sea Gate's defensive ramparts were rebuilt and fortified. The soldiers of Zendikar celebrated a hard-won victory.

This story event will be covered in an upcoming Uncharted Realms story.

Hedron Alignment

A horde of Eldrazi soon retaliated, including the titan Ulamog himself, and the four Planeswalkers enacted a bold new plan. While Gideon's troops and Kiora's forces held the city against this fresh assault, Nissa called on the elemental power of the earth to raise sunken hedrons from the ground and move them into a ring around the Eldrazi titan. Jace activated the hedrons' magic, and Ulamog was trapped!

Then everything collapsed. Ob Nixilis appeared, having followed Nissa from Bala Ged. He knocked the hedrons out of alignment to siphon their power for himself. As power flowed into him, Ob Nixilis's Planeswalker spark reignited.

Gideon still believed victory was attainable. Ulamog was still within the hedron ring, still in reach of his army and Kiora's mighty followers. Gideon urged his soldiers forward, leaping to attack the titan himself. For a moment, Ulamog was battered, off balance, and apparently on the edge of defeat.

This story event will be covered in several upcoming Uncharted Realms stories.

The story will continue in Oath of the Gatewatch, the second and final set in the Battle for Zendikar block.